CHAPTER FIVE

I woke up on my futon, a dull pain continuing across my stomach, but nothing like I thought it was before. It was difficult to move so I just stayed in place, squeezing my fists together, and then apart as a distraction and keeping my eyes shut to avoid the light flooding over me. When I finally opened my eyes I could make out Harada and Chizuru on either side of me, talking to two people standing in the door frame. "Kagami-chan!" Okita would have leaped onto me if I was in better health, but he settled for racing to my bedside, leaving Saito at the door. "What happened? Harada, wasn't I shot by Shiranui-san!? I thought I'd died!"

Harada blinked a few times before sparing glances at the others. I forgot full sentences were supposed to be extremely rare around the captains. "No, you rushed in after me. Took a couple guys down but someone nearly gutted you while you weren't paying attention. After that, I had one of the Aizu take you back to Saito-kun at Hamaguri Gate where Yamazaki looked at your injuries," Harada looked uncomfortable before looking to Saito who seemed extremely exhausted, "By the time that Shiranui guy came around, you were already gone… How did you know about him?"

I was in deep shit this time. There was no way I could take myself out of this one, even Saito who knew I had vivid dreams wouldn't take just my word at this point. But really, what choice was there? Even if I chose to tell them why I knew all these things, they would never believe me. So, I lied. "I must have dreamed it," I began, "Sometimes if people are talking while I'm asleep, I'll dream about the things they talk about."

Harada nodded while stroking his chin in thought, "Yeah, I guess that makes sense. You've been out for a few days so that's plenty of time for your mind to think up all that stuff. Right, Saito-kun?"

Everyone turned to look at the left-handed swordsman who until then seemed entirely distracted from the conversation until then. He looked at me and simply muttered a calm, "It's possible," before walking off. The group seemed to look at each other and let out a collective sigh. "Miss something?" I asked.

"Saito's got a stick up his ass, has ever since we got back," Okita explained, "Took out his sword against Harada once we all met up again that day. He's been distant ever since, real bummer." My eyebrows furrowed in response, but I couldn't think of why Saito would suddenly loose his cool with Harada- Unless he was worried for my safety. But, that couldn't be. He'd practically ignored me in the days before Hamaguri. "Hey Kagami-chan, don't worry about Saito, you still have me." Okita followed it words with a sly wink and I nodded, smiling a bit. As Chizuru tried to explain to me what had happened with everyone while we were all separated, I drifted off again.

Although Yamazaki had said the wound in my stomach was pretty deep and I would be bed-ridden for another two weeks just to make sure I didn't open up again, I was up helping Chizuru bring the captains their tea just a few short days after I first woke up. After all, stomach wounds could look much worse than they actually were sometimes. That's what Harada would have said, I imagined. "Tea's ready!" I followed Chizuru around the room, helping her pour and distribute the cups. "Thank you again," Inoue said as Chizuru handed him his own, "Although, Kurosawa-san, should you not be resting? I don't believe Yamazaki has examined you since you came back a few days ago…" I smiled a bit stiffly in response as I handed Sannan his tea, "I'm fine."

With the last of it handed out, Chizuru and I were invited to stay and eat our own meals with them this morning. Although, neither of us were much conversation with different things on our minds besides breakfast. I held my hands over my stomach, fingers twitching around to find the three bullet holes that were surely still there. Only, the bandages were covering a scar where a random opposing soldier had left his mark. He was most likely dead now. That dream had been so real. But even then, the way Harada had explained the wound made it seem as though he was sure I would die from it. That wasn't something I had completely accepted the way I had made it seem to Inoue or anyone that had asked. Perhaps he was only exaggerating because he was worried, but the only way- "The Yagi have been good to us," Hijikata interrupted my thoughts, "But we need a larger place."

It was true we'd been in the same place for at least the whole year that Chizuru and I had been here, but with the Shinsengumi finally becoming credited by the Shogunate, new recruits were being bunched en masse like packaged meat. More would be coming soon, since Heisuke was out recruiting in Edo. "That's easy enough to say," Okita reminded the commander, "But do you have a place in mind that would actually let us stay?"

"Nishi Hongwanji."

Everyone seemed pretty shocked at the suggestion. The temple was known for hiding Choshu rounin and acting as a base for a lot of their operations in Kyoto. Although the temple itself was allied, they couldn't exactly defend themselves if the Shinsengumi wanted to take the temple for themselves. It was in the center of Kyoto and would disadvantage the Choshu. "Don't you think using force against monks is a bit… uncouth?"

"The Choshu could not have used the temple as a base if the monks hadn't allowed it," was Hijikata's reply.

"I agree with Toshi," Kondou offered his opinion, "But Sannan does have a valid point."

I had noticed even more than ever before that Kondou's position was nothing more than ceremonial, if that. The small bits of input he gave were comments at best and had little effect on the final decision no matter how he tried to make it look as if he'd led the discussion. I feared for the Shinsengumi as a whole for the day when he felt compelled to make his own decisions. That time wasn't so far off from now. "Impressive as always, Chief."

My skin crawled. If Itou hadn't said a word during breakfast I would have never paid him any attention. He was a snake, a rat in a room full of people who were too good for him. I knew that now than ever before. Instead of staying and listening to the bastard slyly work his way through the room, I silently excused myself to the courtyard. If anything, staying there long enough to hear him insult Sannan and knowing what was going to be said would be unbearable. Fighting the urge to deck him would be too difficult. Instead, I'm opted to get a head start on finishing the chores.

Once the captains were back and everything done and finished with, Chizuru and I joined the captains hanging around a part of the walkway to watch the sunset. I chose to sit on the steps on the opposite side of the group from Saito with Okita. We hadn't spoken since the day I first woke up, but Okita, Harada, and Chizuru had been really supportive. But even though he'd hadn't asked me about lessons, I still wore his Kodachi at my side. Saito had been avoiding me but hadn't taken it back. I felt it may be a good sign. "Itou-san is an Imperial Nationalist," Saito spoke up with an inquisitive tone, "Why would he be willing to join the Shinsengumi?"

"He's like the Choshu, then," Harada seemed to be thinking out loud, "Could someone like him get along with us?"

Hijikata sighed, "Kondou shares his views on certain things- They're both Nationalists through and through."

None of them seemed to believe that being nationalist was necessarily a bad thing, but the phrase "Blahblahblah, expel the foreigners" had always seemed to rub them the wrong way. I wanted to comment but anything I said could give something away and then when it actually happened… "I don't like him," Okita spoke up. I nodded along with most of the group.

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Harada said, "It's just something about the way he looks at you." He's a snake, or maybe rat, that's why. Any normal person wouldn't feel comfortable with him around. It was impossible. "I feel bad for Sannan. Even his own men are avoiding him," Harada spoke up again over the murmurs of agreement. It was true that Sannan had felt extremely left out in talking about moving the Shinsengumi. Itou had used his "orator skills" and managed to not only convince Kondou but insult Sannan as a swordsman. That was unforgivable. "He's been a jerk lately. But, he wasn't always like that. Back then he was nice, at least on the surface." Nagakura cut in with a slight laugh, "Otherwise he was devious!"

"I don't get what Kondou sees in Itou," Souji seemed to be stuck on it, "Why don't you get rid of him, Hijikata? You're commander."

"Kondou would never allow it," Hijikata responded with a sigh, "Itou's probably laid some wool bullshit over his eyes. He would never allow it."

"Well damn, you're the Demon Commander of the Shinsengumi! Make it happen!"

"Okay Souji, you can be commander, then you can do it for me."

Okita scoffed, "Hell no, that'd be way too much trouble!"

If I were a man and part of the Shinsengumi, I would find a way to get Itou out as soon as possible. And before he started to show his true colors to the rest of the group. "Saito-san," Chizuru got his attention, "What do you think of Itou?"

Saito seemed to take his sweet time answering, and I wasn't going to listen to what he was going to say. The outcome would always be the same with him.

The next night, I was outside on the side of the walkway, keeping Chizuru company as she finished sweeping the yard. She normally took longer than usual on days when it was particularly nice outside. "Yukimura-san, are you nearly finished?" The mood had lifted considerably since the evening before, and everyone seemed to be in higher spirits since the dust had settled a bit from Itou's remarks against Sannan. Still yet… I wondered how long it would be before it happened again. "Kurosawa-san," Chizuru walked up to me when she finished, "I'm going to um… Talk to Hijikata-san about something to do with my father. I'll be back later, so please don't wait up!"

Apparently she wasn't waiting for an answer either, because she headed off to put her broom away before I could respond. My eyes narrowed, was she really going to go see Hijikata, or was it something different this time? I took off my sandals and tabi leaving them on the side of the walkway, and tied my sleeves back with the cord around my shoulders. If I was going to be sneaking around the compound, I needed to be less like a samurai and more like a ninja. I can see you, but you can't see me… I went inside the building of the Yagi House where I knew Chizuru was going and stood against a corner while she walked in, "I never thought that it would be you who would find me here, Yukimura-kun."

Sannan. Oh no, this is bad, very bad. Silently, I drew my sword and held it in front of me, remaining in the hallway. Like everything else, this had happened far too soon. While listening in on their conversation, I considered my options. I could charge in there right now while I still had the element of surprise, and try to break the glass vial I knew he was hiding in his Obi. Or, I could wait until after he had already consumed it and started changing, then make sure to attack before he made to harm Chizuru. This was bad, very bad. Neither decision would help me plead my case in Mary Sue hell. Either I change the story dramatically, or just a bit but still… And even then, did I really even care about how much it changed from what I knew? A gasp louder than any other from Chizuru compelled me to enter the room, "Chizuru, stand behind me!"

I felt sense of strength in my limbs unlike any I had ever felt before as Sannan writhed around in pain before finally staring up at us, crying for blood. Chizuru cried out as he ran at us. I pushed her away and into the wall as Sannan grabbed for my throat. In my shock I accidentally let my kodachi slide against my face before dropping to the floor- An accidental effect of my trying to get his hands away from my throat. My throat was slowly being crushed by his hands and the fact that my face hurt as well was not comforting. Perhaps in an attempt to clean me up, Sannan brought me closer to him and licked my cheek. As dire as the situation was, I could help but think about how ironically erotic that action could be in a different context. And just as I was beginning to feel as though he would surely kill me I was dropped, coughing and hacking into the ground. "Kurosawa-san!" Chizuru tried to get to me, but I held up a hand to let her know I was okay and that she should stay exactly where she was. A calm Sannan spoke more to himself than Chizuru or I, "I see I have failed."